Nigerians Face Record Schengen Visa Rejections Amid Economic Struggles
Nigerians aspiring to travel to Schengen nations are facing increasing visa denials, reflecting a troubling trend amidst the growing wave of migration to developed countries. The latest Henley Global Mobility Report, published in January 2025, reveals that 40.8% of Schengen visa applications submitted by Nigerians in 2024 were rejected. Out of 105,926 applications, 42,940 were denied, placing Nigeria 11th among the top 20 countries with the highest visa rejection rates.
Economic Hardship Driving Migration
For decades, migration has been a key aspiration for Nigeria’s middle class, but the rate has surged in the past four years. Economic hardship, marked by an all-time high inflation rate of 34.6% in November 2024, has driven many Nigerians to seek better opportunities abroad. Rising living costs, unemployment, and a lack of economic prospects have left thousands with little choice but to look beyond the country’s borders.
Barriers to Mobility
Despite these pressures, Nigerian travelers face increasing obstacles. The report attributes the rising rejection rates to the country’s weak passport power and identity-based visa policies. Nigeria’s passport ranks 94th globally in terms of travel freedom. The rejection rate for Nigerians has more than doubled over the past decade, signaling widening gaps in global mobility.
Professor Mehari Maru of the School of Transnational Governance commented on the findings:
“The global mobility divide is widening significantly. While global travel freedom has nearly doubled from 58 visa-free destinations in 2006 to 111 in 2025, the gap between the most and least mobile nations has reached unprecedented levels.”
Africa Faces Higher Rejection Rates
The challenges extend beyond Nigeria. African countries face significantly higher Schengen visa rejection rates than other regions. Six of the top 10 nations with the highest rejection rates are African, led by Comoros (61.3%), Guinea-Bissau (51%), and Ghana (47.5%). These countries, despite contributing only 2.8% of global Schengen applications, faced a staggering 44.8% rejection rate.
The report also highlighted a disparity in rejection rates between African and Asian applicants. African applicants submitted half as many applications as their Asian counterparts but were twice as likely to be denied.
A Broader Mobility Divide
The Henley report underscores a stark disparity in global travel opportunities. While travel freedom has improved for some, the benefits remain unevenly distributed. African nations continue to grapple with higher barriers to mobility, limiting their access to global economic and social opportunities.
As migration pressures intensify, the growing divide between mobile and immobile nations calls for urgent policy reforms. Without addressing these disparities, the aspirations of millions of Nigerians and other African citizens seeking better futures abroad may remain unfulfilled.
